This invention relates to a tape drive including a detector for identifying properties of a tape in the tape drive, and to a tape, and to a method of operating a tape drive.
The invention is useful in relation to a printing apparatus which uses a printing tape or “ribbon” which includes a web carrying marking medium, e.g. ink, and a printhead which, in use, removes marking medium from selected areas of the web to transfer the marking medium to a substrate to form an image, such as a picture or text.
More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a so called thermal transfer printing apparatus in which the printhead includes a plurality of thermal heating elements which are selectively energisable by a controller during printing to warm and soften pixels of ink from the tape and to transfer such pixels to the substrate. The printhead presses the tape against the substrate such that the pixels of ink contact the substrate before the web of the tape is peeled away, thus transferring the pixels of ink from the tape to the substrate.
Such printing apparatus includes drive apparatus for moving the tape relative to the printhead, to present fresh tape, from which pixels of ink are yet to be removed, to the printhead, such that successive printing operations can be carried out. By enabling such movement and selectively energising the printing elements in each of a plurality of positions along the substrate and tape, a desired image can be built up from printed dots.
Tape drives used in such printing apparatus typically include two spool supports, one of which supports a supply spool on which unused tape is initially wound and the other of which supports a take-up spool, onto which the tape is wound after it has been used. Tape extends between the spools in a tape path. Each of the spool supports, and hence each of the spools, is driveable by a respective motor.
Various types of tape drive have been proposed, and for the purposes of the present invention, the type of tape drive which is used is not important.
It is known to provide thermal transfer printing apparatus in two different configurations. In the first, so called “intermittent” configuration, the substrate to be printed and the tape are held stationary during a printing operation, whilst the printhead is moved across the area of the substrate to be printed. Once the printing operation is complete, the printhead is lifted away from the tape, and the tape is advanced to present a fresh region of tape to the printhead for the next printing operation.
In the second, so called “continuous” configuration, the substrate to be printed moves substantially continuously and the tape is accelerated to match the speed of the substrate before the printhead is brought into thermal contact with the tape and the printing operation is carried out. In this configuration, the printhead is maintained generally stationary during each printing operation.